Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to find out whether playing Minecraft: Education Edition would help in-class and remote students make personal connections. This action research project took place in a Grade 3, 4 and 5 public Montessori school during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Of the 23 students, 14 were present in the classroom, while nine others were transitional learners with separate online teachers. Students were asked to reflect on their interactions with other players through interviews, journals and surveys. Parents participated by completing a pre-and post-survey. Students reported an increase in friends and acquaintances matching quantitative data collected by the teacher. Remote learners did not make as many connections as in-class students, likely due to technical difficulties with software and scheduling differences. Implications around the game's colonial mission, racial and gender bias as well as environmental sustainability, need further research.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Language: English

ISSN: 1326-639X

Abstract/Notes: Teacher Training Goes Remote at Montessori Northwest

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Virtual preschool seems to contradict the Montessori Method, a hands-on, sensorial-based early childhood curriculum. However, many virtual Montessori schools, borne out of the temporary need for isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, seek to continue this new implementation of Montessori education permanently. This qualitative study examined how eight preschool teachers in one US-based virtual Montessori program described how they made sense of implementing the Montessori curriculum in an online setting, how they understood the academic and social experiences of their preschool students, and what advantages and disadvantages they perceived for children in the enactment of Montessori education in the virtual format. Using a thematic analysis, this study found that teachers described many adaptations to Montessori education in the virtual format, including to the materials and to the class structure. They felt that their offerings generally met the academic and social needs of their students, while staying as true to the Montessori Method as possible. Teachers found various advantages in the enactment of virtual Montessori school, including the potential to reach children and families who would otherwise not have access to Montessori education in their local communities. Teachers also found various disadvantages, including the uncertainty of the future of the program, and the interference of the screen in a child’s path towards deep concentration, and did not feel that virtual Montessori preschool was an adequate stand-alone replacement for in-person Montessori preschool. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of other virtual Montessori preschools, on the experiences of children completing a full three-year cycle in the virtual Montessori Children’s House program, and on the academic and social readiness of children emerging from virtual Montessori preschool programs for both in-person Montessori and traditional elementary school.

Language: English

Published: Linköping, Sweden, 2022

Abstract/Notes: This article explores the ways Ngaanyatjarra students in Australia respond to Montessori pedagogy in a remote Aboriginal early childhood context. The article initially presents key literature pertaining to early childhood education, Aboriginal education, and Montessori education in Australia. The qualitative methodology underpinning the research is subsequently outlined. The approach emphasized in this research is that of interpretivism. The data analysis process highlighted three headings: concentration and engagement, student autonomy, and student independence. The findings of this research indicate the potential for Montessori pedagogy as a viable alternative practice of education for remote Aboriginal early childhood contexts, as Montessori pedagogy may align more harmoniously with the cultural dispositions of Ngaanyatjarra students. Finally, recommendations are presented in light of the research.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v4i2.6715

ISSN: 2378-3923

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Montessori educators believe that there are a number of important factors that are necessary for a child to successfully attain adulthood. They include family, a stable home, good adult mentors, and a strong system of education that includes fostering of independence, autonomy of the individual, and joyful learning opportunities with a system environment. Geoffrey Bishop mentions one additional element that he believes to be of equal importance in a child's life, and that is unstructured and unrestricted outdoor and nature play. Bishop points toward Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods" (2008), and how it speaks of the "Nature Deficit Disorder" he sees in many of today's children. Bishop writes here that he sees this nature deficit as well in his own role as the head of a Montessori school set on 400 acres. As the head of an Outdoor Environmental Education program, he draws on lessons learned from his own childhood, and describes how he aims to correct this deficit for the children in his program.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040